Miscellaneous Politics here in Cafe Saxophone?

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mizmar said:
And yet people discuss the Banjo here

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Miscellaneous - Do any of you ever read the Musical Instrument Jokes?

There are disparaging jokes for every instrument...Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, Percussion, and Keyboards. NOBODY ESCAPES RIDICULE! Example: Q: What's the difference between a power lawnmower and a Tenor Sax? A: You can tune the lawnmower, and the neighbors would like it returned. Q: What...
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As you allude to, I was being facetious. :banana:
644f9c4e821ec3c957bd483b5c2efa45.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/64/4f/9c/644f9c4e821ec3c957bd483b5c2efa45.jpg
 
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So, no one knows of any saxophone oriented website which allows political discussion? That was the question which got me to post this thread, yet so far apparently, there are no such threads?

To me, the interests are highly connected. For instance the "Jazz Appreciation" course taught by Leon Breedon my year at North Texas State University [ 1970-'71 ] used the two books Blues People and Black Music by LeRoi Jones aka Amiri Baraka as required reading, the only reading too. The author was highly politicized and controversial then, though those books are historical rather than polemics.

Saxophonist Lou Marini, Jr. had been there, forced to repeat a year because of being flunked on the piano jury necessary for a music education degree, by jazzing up the "Star Spangled Banner". An elder a piano student there during 1950 told me in 1948 one student had been expelled for listening to Dizzy Gillespie.

So, while having saxophone specific websites that don't allow political discussion, is up to those who favor that: this needn't ban sax sites which do invite political discussion. I'm surprised no such sites exist, apparently?

Cannabis was a huge issue, inextricably entwined with music for me, also considerably politicized. Touring, the Evergreen Jazz Ensemble at Evergreen College used a pair of school buses, one "the cynic's bus" was for all the stoners in the band, included all our improvising soloists and the faculty band leader. Cannabis prevailed in Denton at N. T. S. U. also, despite a potential life sentence for a first criminal offense, for possession of a couple joints.

My point is not to debate whether or not politics ought to be part of saxophone specific websites; but, to find and participate in discussions related to both music and politics, and to the saxophone too. A website specific to a car we used to drive, a Ford Festiva www.fordfestiva.com dealt with folk wanting to discuss sensitive issues like politics, by having a particular forum "The Arena" which allowed discussion banned elsewhere at the site.
 
I grew up in Berkeley California in the 1960s. Politics was inextricably entwined in everything. Cannabis too...

Today, a political discussion can be a dangerous life-threatening endeavor. And at my advanced age I have less patience for such nonsense than ever before. When I was in my teens, I thought political action could change the world. In the intervening 60-odd years the world has disabused me of that notion. I’m not saying politics is not important, but only that most of the people involved in it are not trustworthy. It’s not their fault, really; but if you try to survive in a corrupt arena, you will inevitably become corrupted.

I’m glad this is a place where such discussion is frowned upon. Things that actually have real meaning, like notes and chords and sounds, are much more interesting and valuable.

[EDIT-ADDENDUM] I realized the above is not enough. I used to think of music and art as having a social force, and that being an artist meant that one had a responsibility to be socially responsible and to take action. I’ve just seen so many of those actions, taken by artists and others, become twisted out of recognition, and fail miserably in their intended results. Due to the corruption mentioned above in many cases.

I’ve come to the realization that the best purpose of music (all art, actually) is to be our guide to a more complete understanding and acceptance of life, and a strengthening of love for our fellow beings. Enlightenment, in other words. I’ve never met a politician, or observed a political movement, that has those kind of goals (even though many say they do).
 
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I hear you, @skeller047 , I too am glad that this forum lacks general political discussions. The world has changed. It used to be that debate was a class taught in grade school. Back then, it was not about agendas but the ability to politely give counter arguments using logical, factual explanations. Even if controversial, there was tolerance toward opposing ideas.

Today in a good number of forums, seems overall people have lost the ability to discuss, with it turning into bouts of anger, insults, threats of bodily harm, even sometimes death threats toward the individual.

One model aeroplane engine forum, the owner/moderator created a special category called the "redneck zone", for private discussion of any's choosing, as long as it remained civil. Problem was, as soon as someone discussed say, their observation in response to foreign politics (forum has members from other countries besides North America), a few would take offence because they felt the person was attacking members from there, even though there appeared to be factual evidence to substantiate the person's viewpoint.

Rather than politely disagreeing, like I said, like one would in an earlier debate class of say 50 years ago, they would then maintain a grudge against that person, not even wishing "happy birthday" of all things, for that person.

Plus, I am also very glad that this forum has decent moderation in musical discussions. A while back, I stopped posting in another widely popular sax forum, because even in music discussions, I received some extremely ugly childish threatening tantrum responses to my posts from a good number of so-called "sax experts". Yet looking at their shallow responses overall told me that their stated credentials appeared dubious.

So, I am glad this forum bans general political discussions.
 
bobstad said:
So, no one knows of any saxophone oriented website which allows political discussion? That was the question which got me to post this thread, yet so far apparently, there are no such threads?
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... And, having answered the question, the discussion meandered, as they often do. Although it may frustrate the Original Poster, normally it's a great thing...
... But not always.
Sure the social and political context of the development of all (ALL) music (art) is significant; history is, after all, constructed. But, as @skeller047 as says, these days it's almost impossible for a discussion like that not to split between a rabbit hole and a block hole.

Why not start a forum or discussion board or space for your interest and advertise it here?
 
It would appear that there are no such threads. Maybe a social history or political history forum might be better. Politics in a sax forum isn't such a good idea as politics has a tendency to overwhelm but saxophone or jazz in a politically oriented forum could find a place.
 
mizmar said:
Sure the social and political context of the development of all (ALL) music (art) is significant; history is, after all, constructed.
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It's mainly current politics that can be the big issue. But for example if we wanted to discuss slavery and the Blues then we could - and it might just touch on some 18th or 19th century political history, although I'm not aware the politics per se of slavery had any effect on the music. The problem might arise if there were people on here who applauded the slave trade. We'd stop that discussion.

Also we can mention things like the rise of Nazism and any effect it had on music, but just as long as nobody applauds the Nazi party or denies the holocaust etc.

Those rules aren't there because we like rules or forbidding things, they are there because experience has shown they are necessary for the continuing civility and pleasant atmosphere of the forum.
 
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Pete Thomas said:
But for example if we wanted to discuss slavery and the Blues then we could - and it might just touch on some 18th or 19th century political history, although I'm not aware the politics per se of slavery had any effect on the music.
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This is in the limelight again though.
 

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